


All for Charity.

by cleotheo



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Reunions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-03
Updated: 2015-06-03
Packaged: 2018-04-02 17:59:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,491
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4069336
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cleotheo/pseuds/cleotheo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>At a charity fundraiser for St Mungo's, Hermione runs into her old school friends – who are not at all impressed to find out who Hermione is now married to. Five part reunion story.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Dinner at the Potter household was as usual, a lively affair. Normally dinner involved Harry and Ginny Potter, their two biological children, James and Lily, and Harry's godson, Teddy Lupin. Teddy was the oldest at ten, James was five and Lily was approaching her second birthday. However as well as the Potters, Ron Weasley and his wife Lavender Brown were also present along with their children, four year old Hugo and one year old Rose.

With so many people present for dinner, it was a loud and boisterous affair. It also meant that Ginny didn't have the chance to mention her latest idea until dinner was finished and the kids were busy. Rose and Lily had fallen asleep together in the front room, while Teddy was watching the younger boys playing upstairs.

"Dinner was great, Gin," Ron said as the two couples settled in the front room with a glass of wine each.

"Thanks," Ginny replied, smiling at her brother. She never quite felt as though she lived up to the culinary standards their mother Molly set, and it was nice to have her food appreciated.

"Didn't you have something you wanted to discuss?" Harry asked his wife. Ginny had mentioned earlier that she wanted to talk to him about something, but Ron and Lavender had arrived and they hadn't had a chance to talk since.

"If it's private, we can leave," Lavender offered, even though she was hoping they could stay and find out what was going on.

"No, it's fine," Ginny said. "In fact I would appreciate your opinions on the matter. I was in Diagon Alley this morning and I ran into a friend who's on the charity committee for St Mungo's. She was telling me that there's a fundraiser being held next month for the premature babies unit."

When Lily had been born, she had arrived almost two months early and she'd spent the first few weeks of her life in the premature baby unit at St Mungo's. Without the unit, Lily would never have survived and as a thank you for the wonderful work of the staff in the unit, the Potters made a generous donation to the unit every year. However, a big fundraiser would be yet another way they could support the unit that ensured they had a healthy baby daughter.

"What sort of fundraiser?" Lavender asked. These days' fundraisers came in all shapes and sizes, so it was hard to know what to expect if someone mentioned a fundraiser for something.

"It's a very exclusive, high end evening," Ginny answered. "Instead of tickets, they're selling tables. The prices vary based on the number of people at the table. Anyway, the evening starts with a three course meal, followed by an hour in a ballroom, before an exclusive auction."

"It sounds expensive," Ron grumbled. These days he and Lavender were fairly well off, between his salary as an Auror, Lavender's wage as a columnist in Witch Weekly, and the large chunk of money he'd received from the Ministry for his part in bringing down Voldemort in the war several year ago, however he didn't believe in paying more than he had to for anything.

"It will be an expensive night," Ginny admitted. "But it's worth it for the unit. Besides, if we buy a table we don't even need to buy anything at the auction."

"You might not have to buy anything, but you'll have to bid," Lavender pointed out. "At an evening like that, people will be watching and they'll notice if people fail to bid on anything."

"What sort of things are in the auction?" Harry asked. Money really wasn't an issue at all for him and Ginny, but he wanted to be sure how much the evening was going to cost him.

"Everything's still being put into place, but my friend mentioned everything would be top of the range," Ginny said. "She said Narcissa Malfoy had secured a deal with a top hotel for them to donate a weekend away, and she was in talks with a high end jeweller to secure something for the auction. Everything will be worth a small fortune, I can guarantee that."

"Did you just say, Narcissa Malfoy?" Ron questioned with a frown. After the war the Malfoys had made an effort to make amends for the past, and while Ron fully accepted the family had changed, he still didn't want anything to do with them.

"Yes, Narcissa is on the charity committee, and she's organising the entire evening," Ginny replied.

"You can guarantee it's going to be classy," Lavender remarked. "The woman oozes class. I'm sure she can organise a wonderful evening. I hear she throws the most amazing parties at the manor."

"The evening won't be held at the manor, will it?" Harry checked with his wife. He had no problem spending a few thousand galleons to attend a fancy evening out, but there was no way he was stepping foot inside Malfoy Manor.

"No," Ginny answered with a shake of her head. "It's a public function, so it'll be held somewhere public. Chances are it'll be held at a fancy hotel."

"As long as it's not being held at the manor, I see no reason why we can't go," Harry announced.

"Excellent," Ginny beamed at Harry as she leant over and gave him a quick kiss. "Now we just need to sort out how many people are coming, so we know what size table to buy."

"Count me and Ron in," Lavender said quickly. There was no way she was going to miss a fancy evening at a posh hotel.

"I was thinking we could ask Luna and Neville," Ginny said. "And we could ask George and Angelina. That would give us a table for eight."

"That sounds fine," Harry said. "Find out how much the tables are before asking anyone else. Once we know how much we have to pay, we can ask the others. If it's too expensive and we think people might not be able to afford it, we can buy the whole table and just invite people as our guests."

"I'll sort everything tomorrow," Ginny vowed, giving Harry another kiss.

With everything settled, Ginny and Lavender started to excitedly discuss the charity evening, while Harry and Ron's conversation drifted off to work and quidditch. They would let their wives worry about the fundraiser, they would just pay what was needed and turn up on the evening looking smart.

*****

"It's going to be something special," Narcissa Malfoy enthused, smiling excitedly at her family.

Narcissa was having dinner with her husband, Lucius, their son, Draco, and Draco's wife and son. Draco was rather surprisingly married to his former childhood adversary, Hermione Granger, and together the couple had a five year old son, Scorpius. Hermione was also three months pregnant with the couple's second child. Initially Lucius and Narcissa had been hesitant when Draco had announced he was involved with Hermione, but over the years they'd grown close to the muggleborn witch and they now loved her as a daughter.

As they ate, Narcissa was telling her family about the charity evening she was putting together. The unit for premature babies was a cause close to Narcissa's heart, and she'd been heavily involved with the unit since it had opened. A few years after Draco was born, Narcissa and Lucius had a second child, unfortunately she was premature and with no specialist care available at St Mungo's, the baby died after less than a week. Since then Narcissa had done everything she could to try and raise awareness for premature babies, and she was eager to do everything she could to help the unit expand so they could help more babies.

"It sounds great, Narcissa," Hermione said, smiling at her mother-in-law's enthusiasm for the project. Hermione herself was heavily involved with a few charities, and she understood Narcissa's enthusiasm for the cause.

"It will be a memorable night," Narcissa said. "I've already spoken to Blaise, and he's agreed we can hold the evening in his hotel on the south coast." Blaise Zabini was Draco's best friend and he owned a string of exclusive wizarding hotels around the world. "He's even agreed to donate a weekend at one of his overseas hotels for the auction."

"What else have you got lined up for the auction?" Draco asked.

"I've spoken to the owner of a spa I visit, and she's agreed to donate a full set of treatments," Narcissa replied. "I'm also in talks with a jeweller to donate some sort of jewellery piece. I've also got a few more ideas in the pipeline."

"Just let me know if I can help anyway," Draco offered.

"You can help by attending the fundraiser," Narcissa replied. "I'm planning on buying one of the larger tables. I expect you two to come and support us, and I was going to ask Blaise and Daphne. And I'll fill up the numbers with some other friends."

"Don't worry Narcissa, we'll be there," Hermione reassured her mother-in-law. "We wouldn't miss it for anything."

Happily thanking her son and his wife, Narcissa turned her attention to Scorpius. Her grandson was a very well behaved child and he'd caused no problems while the adults had been talking. Offering Scorpius a bowl of ice-cream, Narcissa and Lucius took their grandson off to get his treat while Draco and Hermione went for a stroll around the manor gardens.

"Are you sure about this?" Draco asked his wife as they walked around the rose gardens, hand in hand. "Attending the fundraiser will most likely mean facing the press."

"I know," Hermione answered. "But we're going to support your mother. I'm sure we can deal with the press."

Since getting together a few years after the war, Hermione and Draco had kept their relationship out of the press. Directly after the war the pair had both regularly featured in the papers, but since they both refused to speak to the press the papers got sick of printing stories about them. By the time they got together, they rarely featured in the press anymore, but they'd both known that under the right circumstances they would be headline news. The couple didn't broadcast their relationship, or seek out the limelight, but they also didn't hide away. Everyone who mattered to them knew about their relationship right from the beginning.

"Stop worrying Draco," Hermione said to her sombre looking husband. "Even if we end up in the papers, it's not as if it's going to be a regular thing. Nothing's going to change."

"You hope," Draco retorted. "Our marriage is going to be big news. The press will go mad to get the full story, we'll probably end up hounded for months."

"If people were really interested in us they would already know about our marriage," Hermione argued. "We haven't left the country or anything, and our marriage is registered with the Ministry. If the media were really interested in us, they would have dug around to find out what happened in our lives. Let's face it, we were both too boring for the press to hound us."

"True," Draco chuckled. He knew that if he and Hermione had spoken to the press they would still be interested in their lives, but since neither of them had given the media the time of day they'd soon lost interest. However, all that could possibly change if news broke that they were together.

"Will you stop fretting now?" Hermione asked.

"I will," Draco answered. "I'll just enjoy the evening. You never know, we might even find something interesting at the auction. We could bid on the break to Blaise's hotel."

"We can visit Blaise's hotel whenever we want," Hermione retorted. "If we're going to get something in the auction, let's make it something different."

"It's our anniversary in a few months, I might find the perfect present," Draco said, throwing his arm around Hermione's shoulders as they turned and headed back to the manor.

"You're so romantic," Hermione snorted, rolling her eyes. "It's so nice you put so much thoughts into gifts for me."

"I try," Draco replied with a grin.

Laughing happily the couple made their way back into the manor where they spent the remainder of the evening enjoying time with their family. They would deal with any press fallout from the charity evening when it happened, but for now, life carried on as normal for the Malfoys.


	2. Chapter 2

On the day of the charity fundraiser, Hermione dropped Scorpius off at her parents' house where he would spend the weekend. The fundraiser was taking place on the Saturday evening, but the Grangers had agreed to have their grandson all weekend. With Scorpius settled at his grandparents' house, Hermione returned home and after spending a few hours with her husband, the pair began to get ready for their night out.

"I hope there's something good in this auction," Draco remarked as the couple got ready for the evening.

Apart from what she'd initially told them, Narcissa had been rather quiet on what was up for grabs at the auction. All she would say was that they had a wide variety of items to bid for, and all of them were worth a lot of money.

"I'm sure you'll find something you like," Hermione replied absentmindedly as she considered her two dress choices for the evening.

Narcissa had organised a night of extravagance and opulence, and the dress code was formal. Draco would be wearing his best tux, but Hermione had a couple of choices in her wardrobe. Her first choice was a sweeping, halter neck emerald gown with small diamonds glittering on the skirt. Her second option was a more demure deep blue number with silver detailing down the side. Hermione knew Draco would prefer the emerald dress just because of the colour, so she settled for that option.

Pinning her hair up with an emerald rose pin, Hermione applied a subtle layer of make-up and slid into her dress. She then added a pair of black heels, which gave her a few more inches in height, but still not enough to be as tall as her husband. By the time she'd added her jewellery, also shaped like roses, she looked every inch the Slytherin princess. Chuckling at the thought, Hermione turned round and found Draco gazing at her in wonder.

Despite the fact they'd been together for so long, Hermione still got butterflies whenever Draco looked at her with such open desire. She'd never had anyone look at her the way Draco did, and she was often amazed by the fact he genuinely found her beautiful. Even when she looked a mess, he would look at her as though she was the most precious thing on the planet.

"Do you approve?" Hermione asked, even though she knew full well that Draco approved of the dress since he'd been the one to buy it for her.

"Most definitely," Draco replied, his eyes continuing to hungrily scan his wife's body. Her pregnancy just seemed to add to her beauty, and he was loving the added curves his wife was gaining as their child grew inside her.

"Stop drooling, and get your shoes on," Hermione ordered as she picked up her bag and checked she had everything. "We don't want to be late."

"I guess not," Draco said reluctantly as he followed his wife's orders. If it wasn't for the fact they were attending an event organised by his mother he would have been tempted to suggest they forgo the evening out and spend the night in bed instead.

"Are you ready?" Hermione asked, once she was sure she had everything.

"I am," Draco answered, as he took hold of Hermione's hand and gently pulled her into his arms. "You look amazing, Hermione. I'm going to be the most envied man at this thing. Every wizard will wish you were with them."

Hermione smiled up at Draco as she gently brushed her lips against his. "I think I'm going to be the subject of some envy as well," She said with a cheeky smile. "You're pretty hot, and all the witches will wish you were with them."

"Sorry ladies, I'm spoken for," Draco chuckled, pulling Hermione in for a deeper kiss.

Finally the couple separated, and Hermione swiftly stepped out of Draco's embrace before they got carried away. Leading the way out of the bedroom, Hermione made her way to the floo room. They actually weren't planning on flooing to Blaise's hotel as Hermione didn't want to ruin their dress. Instead Blaise had allowed them access to apparate directly into his office. From there it was a simple trip to the ballroom and adjoined dining room where the evening would be taking place.

Taking hold of Hermione's arm, Draco apparated them to his best friend's hotel. When they arrived at the hotel, they found Blaise and Daphne waiting for them in the office. Blaise and Daphne were the couple's best friends, and they had a son named Alex who was Scorpius age. Like Draco, Blaise was wearing a tuxedo and looked almost as handsome as his blond best friend, while Daphne was looking breath-taking in a shimmering blue dress, which started deep blue at the top and gradually turned lighter until the bottom of the dress that swept along the floor was pale, ice blue.

"We're not late are we?" Draco asked, frowning when their best friends were waiting for them.

Narcissa had given everyone their personal invitations that they would need to access the fundraiser, and it had been decided that they would all meet at the actual event. Of course they were all sitting at the table Narcissa and Lucius had bought, but that didn't mean they had to arrive together. No doubt Narcissa had arrived quite a while ago, but Blaise had vowed to treat the night like a fun night out, he wasn't planning on letting the fact the evening was being hosted at his hotel make any difference to his enjoyment, and he certainly wasn't planning on working.

"You're not late," Daphne replied. "We just thought we should give you advance warning. The Potters have bought a table, and they're here with a couple of her brothers."

"Ron and George," Hermione guessed. She knew Charlie still lived in Romania, and she couldn't see Harry and Ginny socialising much with either Bill or Percy. Bill had a wife and family of his own, not to mention he was so much older than Ginny, and Percy was the slight oddball of the Weasley clan, he never quite fit in with the rest of the family.

"Yes," Blaise confirmed. "Neville Longbottom and his wife are also with them."

"Narcissa said to tell you she'll understand if you want to leave," Daphne added. "She had no idea they'd bought a table until a few hours ago."

"I'm not leaving," Hermione insisted. "I've done nothing wrong. If Harry, Ron and Ginny still have a problem with me, then that's their problem. I'm not going to let them ruin our evening."

"Are you sure?" Draco quietly asked his wife. He knew just how much Hermione missed her friends, and he doubted seeing them again would be easy.

"I'm sure," Hermione replied firmly, as her mind started to think over her past with her friends.

Hermione hadn't seen her friends since shortly after the war, when a falling out with Ron had alienated her from all her friends. Weeks after Voldemort's downfall, Hermione had headed off to Australia to find her parents and retrieve their memories. When she left, Ron vowed that when she returned they would be together. The only reason he hadn't accompanied Hermione was that his family was still grieving over the loss of Fred and they both decided he was needed with his family.

Hermione was away almost three months, during which she restored her parent's memories and started to rebuild the relationship that would never quite be the same again. It was thoughts of Ron, and the life they would build together when she returned home, that got Hermione through the tough times in Australia. First she had to locate her parents, then she had to fix the tricky memory charm her parents were under, and finally she had to regain their trust. In her darkest hours when she thought she was never going to get her parents back, it was thoughts of Ron that gave her strength.

When Hermione had returned home, she'd rushed straight round to The Burrow to see Ron, where she'd promptly had her heart broken. Ron hadn't waited for her like he'd promised, instead he'd gotten back together with Lavender Brown and Hermione had walked in on them in bed together. During the ensuing argument, Ron had denied ever telling Hermione that they had a future together. Even when his family and Harry had gotten involved, Ron had stuck to his story and he told everyone that he'd made it clear to Hermione that they were just friends before she'd left for Australia.

Hermione wasn't surprised that Molly had believed Ron's lies, but she was shocked that Harry and Ginny wouldn't believe her. They believed what Ron was saying, and they branded her a jealous cow. The only person who offered her any support was George, but Hermione didn't want to cause any problems for him with his family, so she didn't force him to choose sides. Instead she walked away, knowing that she was right and that it was Ron in the wrong.

Hermione did wonder if her friends would try and make peace with her, but after she walked out of The Burrow she'd heard nothing from them. Both Harry and Ron regularly spoke to the press, and when asked about her they'd both just said they'd drifted apart and they didn't know what she was doing with her life anymore. Finally accepting that her friends had abandoned her for good, Hermione had moved on with her life. She'd found new friends, and it was through her friendship with Daphne that she'd gotten together with Draco.

Hermione had re-met Daphne when she started healer training. Even though the two witches had gone to school together, they'd never really known one another to have strong opinions on the other one. Each of them knew the basics about the other one, but not enough to judge. Despite an awkward start, the two witches developed a bond as the only two females on the training course. In the wizarding world it was still rare for witches to become healers, normally they trained to be medi-witches and left the healer work for the men. However, both Hermione and Daphne were determined to be healers and they were confident they were smart enough to do so.

As the pair trained together, they became firm friends. Hermione confided in Daphne what had happened with her former friends, and Daphne had encouraged her to move on and find friends who wouldn't turn on her. Daphne encouraged Hermione to join her when she went out with her friends, and despite the group being made up of Slytherins, Hermione agreed to give it a go. To her surprise the group were nothing like what she was expecting, and she soon found the war had drastically changed the Slytherins. After initial apologies from almost the entire group, the past was forgotten and new friendships were forged.

Hermione was surprised when, apart from Daphne, the person she gravitated towards was Draco. Out of everyone they had the most in common, and she surprised by the ease in which they could hold a conversation. Of course their conversations often led to them bickering, but it was more like friendly banter and no nasty words were thrown around. With a bit of encouragement from Daphne and Blaise, Hermione and Draco started meeting up on their own without the rest of the group. From there, romance blossomed and Hermione knew the first time they kissed that Draco was what she'd been waiting for. Her kiss with Draco had awoken something inside of her that Ron had never managed to touch, and she doubted she would ever get enough of the gorgeous blond wizard.

Years later, Hermione still hadn't gotten enough of Draco. The couple were as in love as ever, and their marriage was extremely strong. Hermione's friendship with Daphne had also grown, and a little over a year ago the pair had set up a private healer's practice, specialising in paediatric care. Losing her friends had been tough on Hermione, but she'd found new friends and she'd forged a new life for herself. A life she wouldn't change for anything.

"We don't have to do this, if you're unsure," Draco said, jolting Hermione out of her thoughts.

"I'm sure," Hermione replied as she took hold of Draco's hand. "Let's go and have a great evening."

Taking a deep breath, Hermione followed Blaise and Daphne out of the office as she prepared to face her past head on.


	3. Chapter 3

"Whoa!" Ron declared in awe as their group arrived at the hotel where the charity fundraiser was being held.

Just from the reception area it was clear they were in a top class establishment, and things just got more impressive when they made their way to the ballroom and adjoined dining room. After showing their tickets, the group were ushered into the ballroom where drinks were being served before dinner. The door leading to the dining room was open, so people could find where they were sitting before dinner was served.

"What table number are we?" Lavender asked as the group had a look around the dining room. Every table was already set for dinner, and once dinner was over the room was going to be used for the auction as well.

"Nine," Harry replied, checking the tickets where the table number was printed.

After finding their table, and remembering where it was located, the group headed back into the ballroom for drinks. Almost immediately George and Angelina spotted some friends, and went to chat with them. Neville and Luna went wandering off to get a good look round the place, leaving Harry, Ginny, Lavender and Ron to stand chatting together. The foursome shared a drink together, but just after they'd gotten their second drink, Lavender spotted one of the senior editors from work and dragged Ron across the room to say hello.

"I think someone's trying to make a good impression," Harry chuckled, watching as Lavender fawned all over her boss.

"Lavender just wants a chance to write more serious stories," Ginny told her husband. "She's getting sick of writing fluff pieces."

"She's writes a fashion and beauty column," Harry pointed out, not seeing where the need for serious journalism would come into Lavender's work. "By definition, it's not going to be hard hitting journalism."

"Lavender still feels as though they could do more serious articles," Ginny replied with a shrug.

Losing interest in discussing the ups and downs of Lavender's career, Ginny began to scan the room to see who else was at the fundraiser. Within minutes she'd spotted several important people from the Ministry, as well as some celebrities like quidditch stars. And of course there was a large portion of the crowd made up from high society witches and wizards, who all had money to burn and wouldn't think twice about paying thousands to attend a charity evening.

During her scan of the crowds, Ginny suddenly got her eye on a pair of beautiful witches, one was dressed in a stunning emerald green dress while the other one was wearing a dress in various shades of blue. Thinking there was something familiar about the woman in green, Ginny studied her closer and gasped when she realised the witch was none other than Hermione Granger.

"What is it?" Harry asked, hearing his wife's shocked gasp.

Ginny tilted her head in their former friend's direction. "It's Hermione."

Harry opened his mouth to protest that the witch couldn't possibly be Hermione, when he got a good look at the witch in question and found his wife was right, it was indeed Hermione over the other side of the room. The question was, did they go over and say hello or did they pretend as if they hadn't seen her?

Part of Harry desperately wanted to go over and see how Hermione was these days, but another part of him didn't think it was a good idea after what had happened between them. Last time they'd spoken, Harry and Ginny had accused Hermione of being a liar, and Harry still wasn't sure if she was or not. He didn't like to think that Hermione would have lied to them about the situation with Ron, but also didn't think that Ron would have moved on with Lavender if he thought he had a chance with Hermione. Ron had loved Hermione for years, and even if there'd been even the slightest chance he could be with her, Harry was convinced that he would have waited for her to return from Australia.

"Do we go over and say hello?" Ginny asked. Her dilemma was exactly the same as her husbands, she wanted to talk to Hermione but long ago they'd both reluctantly come to the conclusion that Hermione had been the one in the wrong all those years ago.

"I'm not sure she'll welcome our presence," Harry said quietly.

"Maybe not, but it's probably rude not to even make the effort to speak," Ginny replied. "At least this way we know we've been polite and have made the effort."

Bracing themselves to face the past, Harry and Ginny made their way over to where Hermione was standing talking to the witch in the blue dress. Just before they reached their former friend, the witch in blue spotted them and whispered something to Hermione. Turning around, Hermione watched warily as Harry and Ginny stopped in front of her.

"Hello, Hermione," Harry said, offering her a warm smile. He would love nothing more than to put the past behind them and restart their friendship, but he just wasn't sure if it would happen.

"Hello Harry," Hermione returned. "Ginny."

"Hi," Ginny said quietly.

"I'm sure you remember Daphne from school," Hermione said, gesturing to her best friend at her side. She didn't think Harry and Ginny would remember Daphne, but she wasn't going to pretend as though Daphne wasn't at her side.

At the unsure look, Ginny and Harry exchanged, Daphne held out her hand and gave them a forced smile. "I was in Slytherin," She explained.

"Daphne Greengrass," Harry declared, brightening when he could place the witch with Hermione.

"It's Zabini now," Daphne replied.

"Congratulations," Ginny offered. She could remember Blaise Zabini from school, and in her opinion he was one of the hottest boys at Hogwarts. If he was still as good looking these days, then Daphne was a very lucky witch.

"Are you married, Hermione?" Harry asked.

"I am," Hermione replied, but before she could elaborate any further Blaise appeared at Daphne's side, carrying two glasses of champagne.

"Is everything okay here?" Blaise asked, handing Daphne and Hermione their drinks.

"It's fine," Hermione replied. "Although you've brought me the wrong drink. Champagne is alcoholic."

"We got you non-alcoholic champagne," Blaise answered. "I don't know what it tastes like though, so don't blame me if it's horrible."

Hermione took a small sip of her champagne and found she couldn't tell that it wasn't alcoholic. "It's quite nice actually," She told a relieved Blaise.

"So, it's nice to see you again Hermione," Ginny said awkwardly, not knowing what to say.

"Is it?" Hermione questioned with a raised eyebrow. "Because you've ignored me for years."

"Things aren't as simple as that, Hermione," Harry said with a sigh. "We were caught in the middle of you and Ron."

"And you picked Ron," Hermione said.

"He's my brother, Hermione," Ginny said pleadingly. "We couldn't turn our backs on him."

"No-one was asking you to turn your back on Ron," Hermione argued. "You could have stayed friends with both of us."

"Not when one of you was lying," Harry said regretfully.

"You mean not when I was lying," Hermione shot back, ruefully shaking her head. It would seem Ron still hadn't come clean about the lies he'd been telling.

"We don't want to believe you would lie to us, Hermione. But Ron would have told us if the pair of you had kissed," Ginny said as gently as she could. "He wouldn't have gotten back with Lavender if he thought he had a chance with you."

"You better not be calling my wife a liar," A low voice growled from behind Ginny.

Harry and Ginny spun around, their mouths dropping open as they found an unimpressed Draco Malfoy standing behind them holding two glasses of firewhisky. Shooting the Potters a less than impressed look, Draco handed Blaise his drink and walked over to Hermione and slipped a comforting arm around her waist.

"Are you okay?" He asked, dropping a kiss to the top of Hermione's head.

"I'm fine," Hermione replied. "Harry and Ginny just came to say hello."

"Malfoy," Harry spat, recovering from the shock of seeing his former friend with his former enemy. "Tell me this isn't happening."

"How could you, Hermione?" Ginny asked in disgust. "Have you forgotten everything that bastard did in school?"

"I'm not going to stand here and let you insult my husband," Hermione snapped. "Draco and I have put the past behind us. Maybe if you'd bothered to stay friends with me, you would have known about our relationship. Then you could have seen first-hand, just how much Draco has changed and how much we love each other."

"Malfoy may have changed, but that's no reason to marry him," Harry said with a sneer. "I thought you had more class than that."

"And I thought you were my best friend," Hermione retorted. "It looks like we were both wrong."

"I suggest you leave now, Potter," Draco said, stepping forward and placing himself between his wife and her former friends.

"Don't worry, we're leaving," Ginny said, tugging on Harry's arm. "We don't want anything to do with you lot."

"The feeling is entirely mutual," Draco snarled as the Potters turned and stalked away.

"Well that was fun," Hermione said bitterly as she watched her former friends disappear into the crowds. "And we haven't even spotted Ron yet. No doubt he'll have something to say."

"I've got something to say to him as well," Draco said, turning his focus back to his wife. "I think it's time the truth came out. It's time to make the Weasel admit the truth about what happened all those years ago."

"I don't want any trouble, Draco," Hermione warned. "I'm not bothered if people still think I'm the liar, I know the truth."

"I'm not going to cause trouble," Draco promised. "But I still want to make Weasley admit the truth."

While Draco was vowing to make Ron tell the truth and clear Hermione's name, Harry and Ginny had re-joined her brothers and their wives. Neville and Luna were still off wandering the room, but the other three couples regrouped as they knew dinner was going to be served soon.

"Did I see you talking to Hermione?" George asked his sister. It was only a glimpse, so he couldn't be sure, but it certainly looked as though Ginny and Harry had been talking to Hermione.

"Hermione's here?" Ron questioned, immediately looking around the room for a glimpse of his former friend.

"She's here," Harry muttered darkly. "And she's with Malfoy."

"Malfoy?" Lavender questioned in disbelief. "As in Draco Malfoy?"

"And what do you mean with?" Ron demanded. "Are you telling us, she's dating Draco bloody Malfoy?"

"Not dating, married," Ginny supplied.

"Hermione's married to the bloody ferret," Ron exploded, causing several people nearby to turn and look at him in disgust.

"Ron, calm down," Lavender hissed. "This is a classy event, you don't want to show yourself up."

"Sorry," Ron muttered as he lowered his voice. "I just can't believe Hermione would do that. What on earth possessed her to marry Malfoy?"

"Love," Angelina offered with a shrug. "Why else do people get married?"

"Malfoy doesn't love anyone, least of all Hermione," Ron snorted. "And I can't believe Hermione loves him. Something else is going on here."

"What's going on is that Hermione has moved on with her life," George told his brother. "After everything that happened, I really don't think her life choices have anything to do with any of us."

"Did you know she was married to Malfoy?" Ginny asked. She knew George hadn't ended his friendship with Hermione the way they had, but she didn't realise her brother was still in touch with her.

"I did," George answered. "I see Hermione occasionally, and she mentioned it in passing. We're not close friends, but I don't ignore her if I see her around."

"I can't believe this," Ron seethed. "Just wait until I see that bugger Malfoy. I'll find out what he's up to."

Luckily Ron didn't get a chance to go and look for Draco as dinner was announced. Urging Ron to keep calm, Lavender took hold of her husband's hand and the group made their way into the dining room. Taking their seats at their table, they watched as Hermione entered the dining room with Draco, Blaise and Daphne. Hermione didn't even glance in their direction as she took her seat at one of the largest tables in the room, alongside her husband, friends and parents-in-law.

"Wow, she looks amazing," Angelina remarked. "I love her dress."

"She looks like a cheap tart," Lavender sneered jealously. She actually thought Hermione looked lovely, and she knew for a fact the dress she was wearing was a one of a kind designer number, but there was no way she was admitting that her former love rival looked better than she did.

"I think she looks stunning," George said. "She also looks really happy."

Watching their former friend, Harry and Ron had to admit George was right. Hermione looked totally at ease surrounded by former Slytherins, and most importantly she looked very happy with Draco. If she'd been with anyone else they might have been happy for her, but they couldn't be happy that she'd found love with the boy who'd made their lives hell at Hogwarts.


	4. Chapter 4

The three course meal at the fundraiser was divine, and for a while it diverted Ron's attention away from the situation with Hermione. As they ate, Hermione was never mentioned again and the rest of the group began to think Ron had decided to leave Hermione alone. However, as they were finishing their meal, Ron turned his attention back to Hermione.

"Can't you just leave it alone?" Lavender whispered to her husband as they finished their dessert. "Why are you so intent on dragging up the past with Hermione? She's not part of your life now, so you shouldn't be bothered who she's married to."

"We were friends for a long time, and I think she deserves better than Malfoy," Ron replied.

"It's really not your choice to make though, Ron," Lavender said as she turned around and struck up a conversation with Ginny.

Within the next five minutes, people began to leave the dining room and head back into the ballroom. Once the dining room was empty, it was going to be prepared for the auction that would take place in just over an hour's time. With the mass exodus of people moving from one room to the next, Ron lost sight of Hermione, but he wasn't worried as he knew he would find her again in the ballroom, and once he did he would speak to her and try and work out what was happening between her and Malfoy. He couldn't believe she would willingly marry Malfoy, and if she was in any sort of trouble he wanted to be the one to save her.

After moving to the ballroom and getting drinks, Ron continued to look for Hermione in the crowds. When he couldn't spot the brunette witch, he recruited Harry to help look for her. After ten minutes the pair concluded that Hermione and her husband were nowhere to be seen.

"I guess she left in shame," Ginny suggested when Harry and Ron mentioned Hermione's disappearance. "We did call her out on being a liar. Even though she denied it, she must be feeling guilty. She probably can't stand being in the same place as us after all the lies she told."

"I guess that's a possibility," Ron muttered. He doubted Hermione had left because of any guilt she felt, but it would appear as though she'd left the evening early. "I'm heading for another drink," He announced. "Does anyone want one?"

With no-one else wanting another drink, Ron headed off to the bar by himself. Unfortunately the empty slot he could find at the bar was just behind Narcissa Malfoy and another witch. Hoping Narcissa wouldn't realise he was there, Ron stood behind her and waited for one of the bar staff to reach him. As he was standing at the bar, he couldn't help but listen to Narcissa's conversation and it soon became apparent the woman she was talking to was the mother of Theo Nott, another former Slytherin they'd went to school with.

"I haven't seen Draco and Hermione since the dinner," Mrs Nott remarked. "Have they left for the evening?"

"They'll be back for the auction," Narcissa replied. "Hermione's just having a rest. This pregnancy is really taking it out on her, she's so tired all the time."

"I guess a second pregnancy will be harder on her," Mrs Nott said. "She does have a small son to take care of as well."

"And Scorpius can be a bit of a handful," Narcissa said affectionately. "He reminds me so much of Draco at that age."

"Then heaven help Hermione," Mrs Nott laughed. "I can remember when Draco used to come and play with Theo when they were younger, he was always so full of beans. Not to mention, he always had dozens of ideas about how they could get into trouble."

Narcissa laughed along with Mrs Nott and as the pair started reminiscing about their children, Ron drowned out the conversation as it was finally his turn to get served. With his fresh drink in hand, Ron left the bar and returned to his friends, eager to tell them what he'd heard.

"Hermione hasn't left," Ron announced. "She's just resting before the auction."

"Why is she resting?" Luna asked in concern. "Is she ill?"

"Worse, she's pregnant," Ron answered.

"That makes so much sense," Ginny gasped. "When we saw her earlier, she was drinking a non-alcoholic drink."

"And it's not her first child, she's already got a son," Ron added.

"Scorpius," George supplied. "He's a lovely little boy."

"You've met him?" Ron asked, glaring at his brother.

"I've already explained this, I don't ignore Hermione when I see her," George said. "We're perfectly friendly."

"You still could have told us all this, George," Ginny complained. "It would have been nice to know all this before tonight."

"If you were interested in Hermione's life, then you should have remained friends with her," George retorted. "You're in no position to complain about her life, so back off."

Taking hold of Angelina's hand, George led his wife away from the group. Neville and Luna also expressed their opinions that Ron, Harry and Ginny should just be happy for Hermione, before they also headed off to get another drink before the auction started.

"I think they're right," Lavender said. "Let's just forget about Hermione and concentrate on having fun. We should go and take our seats in the dining room, and take a look at the auction booklet. I'm dying to see what's up for grabs."

Agreeing to concentrate on the auction, the group made their way back into the dining room. Returning to their table, they picked up the glossy brochure that displayed each item that was up for auction. Flicking through the brochure, the group were impressed with every single thing in the brochure.

There was a romantic meal for two at an expensive new restaurant, a weekend at a hotel in the country, a family break in France and a full set of spa treatments. There was also a diamond necklace up for grabs, a one of a kind dress designed by a top fashion designer and a case of champagne. Then there was a couple of quidditch based items, a session with a top photographer and the chance to have one room made over by a high class interior designer.

The group were discussing what items to bid on when George and Angelina returned to the dining room along with Neville and Luna. As the rest of the attendees started to flock back into the dining room, Harry and Ron noticed Hermione re-entering with Draco at her side. The couple didn't give them a second glance as they returned to their seats and started looking at the auction brochure together.

When everyone was back in the dining room, bidding paddles appeared on the tables and the Minister of Magic, Kingsley Shackelbolt, made his way to the podium at the front of the room. Narcissa had persuaded Kingsley to be the auctioneer for the event, and before they began he laid out the rules for everyone.

"Let's get started," Kingsley announced. "And remember all proceeds go to a very worthy cause, so dig deep and let's raise as much as we can. First of all we have an all-expenses paid weekend at this very hotel. Who'll start the bidding at one hundred galleons?"

From his seat, Blaise muttered about how a weekend at his hotel was worth far more than a hundred galleons. Fortunately other people seemed to agree, and in the end the weekend went to Theo's parents, who paid nearly eight hundred galleons for the pleasure. After the weekend at the hotel, the romantic meal for two at the restaurant went, followed by the spa treatments and the case of champagne.

"Next up we have an exclusive box for a Falmouth Flacons home quidditch match," Kingsley said. "Do I hear one hundred and fifty galleons?"

"One fifty," Blaise called, raising his panel.

"One sixty," Ron called as he entered the bidding.

"Why are you bidding on this?" Ginny asked her brother. "You don't even support the Falcons."

"The box is for a home game of my choice," Ron explained, making sure he kept up with the bidding. "I can choose to use the box when the Falcons are playing The Chudley Cannons."

"Just make sure you don't spend over our budget," Lavender hissed. "I would quite like to bid on the necklace, and I'll not be able to do that if you spend all our money on quidditch."

Brushing his wife off, Ron continued on with the bidding. Blaise dropped out of the running pretty early on, but they were several other interested parties. Slowly people dropped out of the bidding, and just when Ron thought he had the box won, another paddle popped up in the air.

"A thousand galleons," Draco called, raising the price by a few hundred galleons.

"One thousand, one hundred," Ron countered.

"Ron!" Lavender hissed. "We can barely afford that much."

"We can afford a bit more," Ron insisted. There was no way he was letting Malfoy win the auction and grab the quidditch box from under his nose.

"One and a half thousand," Draco said, upping the ante with a mischievous smirk.

"Two grand," Ron called.

Gasps of surprise were heard around the room at the price the box had gone up to. Even a box as exclusive as the one on offer, wasn't worth two thousand galleons. However, the bidding wasn't finished yet as Draco and Ron continued to up the ante, both of them refusing to back down.

"What are you doing?" Hermione asked when Draco raised the price over four thousand. "You can get your own box for far less than this."

"It's all for charity," Draco replied.

"More like you're trying to get one up on Ron," Hermione retorted. "Well you can stop it right this instant."

Draco waited until Ron had placed a bid of five thousand, before placing his paddle on the table. "As you wish, honey."

"Any advance on five thousand?" Kingsley questioned as he raised his gavel. "Going once, going twice, sold to Ron Weasley at five thousand galleons."

"Bloody hell," Ron whispered as reality sunk in.

He hadn't wanted to let Malfoy win, but he hadn't really thought through the consequences of carrying on the bidding. Now he was stuck paying five thousand galleons to watch a quidditch match in the privacy of one of the exclusive boxes. Even with the perks provided in the boxes, it wasn't worth five thousand.

"I hope you're happy now," Lavender huffed at her husband. "We can't afford to bid on anything else now."

"Sorry," Ron offered as Lavender sulked at his side. "I got carried away."

Lavender continued to sulk as the auction continued. A few times she wished she could bid on things, especially when Angelina won the makeover from the interior designer at a very reasonable price and Luna and Neville grabbed themselves a family break in France at a luxury villa. However, it was when the diamond necklace came up for auction that Lavender really got depressed. She'd loved the necklace the second she set her sights on it, and couldn't believe she couldn't even bid on it. Although in the end the necklace went for nearly fifteen thousand galleons, and Lavender had to admit she never could have afforded that much.

Once the spa treatments and the designer dress were gone, attention turned to the photography shoot. Almost immediately, Hermione placed a bid and ended up winning. When Draco questioned her about why she'd bid on the photographer, she merely said it was for his birthday present and refused to say anything more.

"Are you going to use that photography session to do what I think you're going to do?" Daphne whispered to her friend as their husband quietly talked about the last item that would be auctioned very shortly.

"What do you think I'm going to do?" Hermione asked. Originally she'd thought it would be nice to get a family portrait once she'd had the baby, but as she'd sat a different idea had entered her head.

"I think you're going to do a saucy photoshoot for Draco," Daphne replied. "Am I right?"

"You are," Hermione confirmed with a nod and a small laugh. "I think he'll appreciate pictures like that, and if I do it in the next few weeks, my pregnancy won't be too obvious. I'll have plenty of curves, but no big baby bump."

"Damn, I wish I'd thought of that," Daphne admitted. "It's a brilliant gift."

"Let's just hope Draco approves," Hermione said. She had no doubt that Draco would love the pictures, he just might not be keen on someone else taking them. However, if she could arrange for a female photographer, she didn't foresee her husband being too jealous.

As the auction continued, everything went for a good price. Narcissa was just saying how thrilled she was with the evening when Kingsley announced it was time for the final item to go under the hammer. The final lot up for grabs, was an opportunity to meet and greet any one of the quidditch teams in the British and Irish league. As well as meeting and greeting the team, there was also an opportunity to fly with the team and have a game with them. The event was also for up to four people, and children were welcome.

"This is mine," Draco told his wife as Kingsley started the bidding.

"Ours," Blaise corrected. He and Draco had already decided to club together to try and win the meet and greet session so they could take their boys to meet their favourite team, The Tutshill Tornadoes.

As expected the bidding was ferocious and within minutes the price was well over a thousand galleons. As the bidding continued, Draco bided his time, watching who was bidding and trying to estimate who his main competition was. Fairly quickly he decided his main competition was Harry Potter. Harry seemed eager to bid for the item, and Draco knew the Auror was pretty well off. However, he wasn't as rich as the Malfoys, especially when you added Blaise's money to things.

"Ten thousand," Draco called as he entered the bidding. Ten grand was a dip in the ocean to him and Blaise, and he knew they could very well go higher.

Draco's bid had almost everyone else dropping their panels to the tables and shaking their heads to acknowledge they were out. The only person not put off by Draco's offer was Harry, who immediately raised his paddle and bid again.

"Fifteen," Harry countered.

"Twenty," Draco said.

"Twenty five," Harry called, as gasps echoed around the room.

"Fifty," Draco announced with a smirk.

The room fell silent at Draco's bid. Even Blaise looked shocked that his best friend had gone so high. Beside Draco, Hermione shook her head in disbelief. They could easily afford the money, and it was for a good cause, but she knew her husband was only paying so much to spite her former friends.

"We're at fifty thousand galleons," Kingsley said, his own voice revealing how disbelieving he was at the situation. "Do we have any advances?"

"Harry, you can't," Ginny whispered to her husband. Harry was still gripping the panel in his hand and she was terrified he would do something stupid and raise it again, just to spite Hermione's husband.

"I know," Harry muttered reluctantly as he placed the panel down on the table and shook his head at Kingsley.

"Going one, going twice, sold to Draco Malfoy for fifty thousand galleons," Kingsley called, banging his gavel one final time as the last item sold. "I want to thank everyone for their generosity, and I hope you all enjoy the rest of the evening."

A buzz filled the room as people gossiped about how the auction had turned out. Luckily, they would have plenty of time to gossip further as the evening wasn't over just yet. Even though the auction was over, the ballroom would remain open for people to have more drinks and to just have fun until they decided to call it a night.


	5. Chapter 5

"I cannot believe you went that far," Blaise said to Draco as the pair made their way to the bar in the ballroom. "I know I said to make sure you won the bid, but that was wild."

"You don't have to pay half," Draco offered. Even though he and Blaise had decided they would half the cost of winning the bid, he wouldn't hold his friend to their deal when he'd bid so much.

"I'll pay," Blaise answered. "It was worth it to see the look of horror on Potter's face when he realised he couldn't match you."

"I'm sure he could have, but I doubt his wife would have been happy with him," Draco replied. "As it is, my wife isn't too impressed by the bid."

"You'll talk Hermione round, you always do," Blaise laughed. He'd lost track of the times he'd seen Hermione mad at Draco for something, and his best friend always managed to charm his way out of trouble.

"It's a talent," Draco smirked.

Shaking his head at his friend, Blaise leant on the bar and grabbed the attention of one of his most loyal employees. "Connor, I want you to do me a favour." Slipping a small vial from his pocket, Blaise slipped it into the barman's hand. "I want you to slip that in Ron Weasley's drink."

"You do know who Ron Weasley is, don't you?" Draco checked.

"Of course," Connor replied. Everyone knew who Ron Weasley was considering he was a war hero.

"Let me know when it's done," Blaise said. "But until then, we'll have two firewhisky's, a glass of champagne and a glass of non-alcoholic rosé wine."

After receiving their drinks, Draco and Blaise made their way over to their wives. The vial they'd just handed the barman contained veritiserum. The pair had slipped away after dinner to retrieve the potion as Draco was determined to prove that Weasley was the liar, not Hermione. Hermione and Daphne had no idea of the plan, as while they'd slipped out for a while, Hermione had been resting up in one of the bedrooms and Daphne had been keeping her company.

"I hope the pair of you are pleased with your purchase," Daphne remarked as the men sat down at the table they'd quickly grabbed upon entering the ballroom. "Fifty thousand is an awful lot to go and meet a quidditch team."

"But the boys will love it," Blaise argued. "It's a unique opportunity for Alex and Scorpius. When else are they ever going to get a chance to fly with professional quidditch players?"

"I guess it will be something for them to remember," Hermione conceded. "And of course, it'll keep you two big kids happy."

"Of course," Draco replied with a grin. "It'll be fun for us as well."

As the conversation drifted onto the rest of the auction, Draco and Blaise kept an eye on the bar. They didn't want to miss Ron receiving the veritiserum and lose the chance to get him to admit the truth. Fortunately they both spotted Connor speaking to Ron at the bar, and when the redhead departed the barman gave them confirmation he'd slipped him the potions via a nod of his head. Draco was just wondering how to suggest they go and speak with Hermione's former friends, when Blaise nudged him in the side. Turning his head, he couldn't help but smirk as he saw Potter and Weasley approaching with their wives. George and Angelina were also with the foursome, but neither of them looked very happy with events.

"Hermione," Ron greeted as he arrived at the table. "I would like to talk to you."

"Talk away," Hermione said, making no move to get up.

"In private," Ron said, throwing a dirty look Draco's way.

"Anything you have to say, can be said here," Hermione replied. "I have no secrets from my husband and best friends."

"Before he says anything, I want to say that Ange and I don't agree with anything he's about to say," George said hastily. "We have no problems with you Hermione, and we're just sorry Ron's about to make a fool of himself."

"I am not going to make a fool of myself," Ron insisted. "I'm merely looking out for someone who I used to be close to."

"I don't need to be looked out for," Hermione said snappishly. "Especially not from you."

"I know our friendship didn't end well, but we all still care about you, Hermione," Ron said. "I just want you to answer me one question. Are you being coerced to be with Malfoy in any way?"

Hermione laughed out loud at Ron's absurd question, until she realised he was deadly serious. He genuinely thought something had happened to her and she wasn't with Draco of her own free will.

"I am not being coerced in any way," Hermione said seriously. "I'm with Draco because I love him. He's hasn't got me under any spells or potions, if that's what you're thinking. We simply fell in love."

"You seem to be aware of what you're doing," Ron admitted reluctantly. "Although if he was controlling you, you wouldn't be aware of it."

"No-one is controlling anyone," Draco said, wrapping a protective arm around Hermione's shoulders. "Our relationship is genuine."

"See, I told you," George crowed triumphantly before turning to Hermione. "Sorry Hermione, I tried to tell him he was being ridiculous, but he wouldn't listen."

"And why were you so keen on thinking I was being used?" Hermione asked. "Are you feeling guilty about what happened all those years ago? Are you feeling bad for lying and making me out to be a jealous cow?"

Draco and Blaise exchanged victorious grins when Hermione started asking Ron questions. With the veritiserum in his system, he would have no choice but to answer with the truth and finally his lies were going to be exposed.

"Yes," Ron replied, a look of horror appearing on his face as he realised what he'd said. He'd meant to scoff at Hermione's suggestions, but he was unable to control the real answer that slipped from his lips.

"Ron," Ginny gasped. "Are you saying you were the one lying all those years ago?"

"Yes," Ron answered again, his frustration growing as he was again forced to answer the question with the truth. Suddenly he understood what had happened and glared accusingly at Hermione and the Slytherins. "You've slipped veritiserum in my drink," He accused.

"We did," Draco answered. "We're not going to abuse it, we just want to know the truth."

"I'm not going to stand here and be questioned by you," Ron announced, turning to leave.

"No, you don't," Harry said, catching his friend's arm and turning him back around. "It's time you told the truth Ron."

"Did you really kiss Hermione during the final battle and tell her you would wait for her when she went to Australia?" Ginny asked her brother.

"Yes," Ron admitted, the words spilling from his lips even though he didn't want them to. "The answer to both is yes. Yes, I kissed her and yes, I said I would wait for her."

"Why didn't you?" Hermione questioned. She now believed that her relationship with Ron would never have worked, but she still wanted to know what had made him suddenly change his mind about her.

"You were gone and Lavender was there," Ron answered. "I'd intended to wait for you, but I had a drink with Lavender and remembered what fun we used to have together. I realised that I wanted fun, I didn't want boring and serious."

"You thought I was boring?" Hermione asked, feeling far more hurt than she'd imagined she would be by Ron's revelations.

"Yes," Ron whispered. "I'm sorry Hermione. Lavender represented fun, and after everything that happened, I wanted fun. I still cared about you, but I realised we were better off as friends."

"Why did you never just tell me that?" Hermione asked quietly. "It would have hurt, but I would have understood. Why did you have to tell those lies and say you never promised me anything? Why not just be truthful?"

"I don't know," Ron confessed. "I had planned to just tell you the truth, but then your turned up unexpectedly and found me with Lav. When you started yelling at me, I wasn't thinking straight and it just seemed easier to deny anything had ever happened between us. If I'd admitted the truth everyone would have hated me for not letting you down gently before moving on with Lavender."

"Instead you let people hate me for lying," Hermione said sadly. "Things could have been so different Ron. People might have been upset and angry at the way you handled things, but it would have all been sorted out. You never know, we might still have been friends."

"I'm sorry Hermione," Ron said. "I wish I could change things, but I can't."

"You could have come clean at any time," Draco pointed out. "Even tonight, you could have had the decency to admit you were in the wrong. Instead we had to dose you with veritiserum in order to get the truth. You're not sorry for what you put Hermione through, you're just sorry you got caught."

"I am genuinely sorry," Ron insisted, although it was clear no-one believe him.

"I can't believe you've done this, Ron," Ginny hissed at her brother.

"Sorry," Ron repeated yet again, before turning on his heel and fleeing the room. Lavender hovered unsurely for a minute, before she turned and took off after her husband.

"Hermione, I don't know what to say," Harry said, turning to his former friend. Hermione could see the guilt swimming in his green eyes, but it didn't move her the way she often thought it might do if her friends ever apologised. "We're so sorry for believing Ron. We never should have taken sides."

"I appreciate your apology," Hermione said. She wasn't going to be petty enough to reject Harry's apology when she could see he genuinely meant it.

"I'm sorry as well," Ginny said sheepishly. "Harry's right, we made a big mistake in throwing our friendship with you away."

"But this isn't going to make a difference, is it?" Harry asked quietly. "We're still not going to be friends, are we?"

"Too much has happened for us to go back to the way it was," Hermione replied. "I genuinely appreciate your apologies, but it doesn't change the fact you just stopped being my friends. I never asked you to choose between me and Ron, and I'll admit that it really hurt when you dumped me. I didn't expect to lose everyone I'd ever cared about in the space of a few hours."

"We understand," Harry said solemnly. "We're pleased you're happy, Hermione. You deserve it."

"Thanks." Hermione smiled at Harry before she impulsively stood up and pulled him into a hug. "I'll never forget you Harry, and I'll always cherish the friendship we once shared."

"So will I," Harry replied, hugging Hermione tightly for what he knew would be the very last time. "And I will always regret throwing that friendship away."

With an air of sadness the two former friends parted. Hermione sat back down next to her husband, while Harry said a final goodbye and left with Ginny. George and Angelina stayed long enough to make sure things were still okay between them and Hermione, before they said goodnight and headed home.

"This has been one eventful night," Hermione said, resting her head on Draco's shoulder.

"And it's not over yet," Draco said. "Your parents still have Scorpius until tomorrow afternoon, so we have the house to ourselves."

"I really don't know if I can be bothered with anything like that," Hermione confessed. Even with an hour's rest after dinner, the evening had felt particularly long and she was getting increasingly tired with every passing minute.

"Let's go home and I'll run you a soothing bath and give you a nice massage," Draco suggested. "Then we can see if you fancy a bit of fun. I bet by the time I've had my hands all over you, you'll not be able to resist me."

Hermione laughed, knowing Draco was most likely right. She may be tired now, but by the time her husband had given her a sensual massage, she would be more than ready to jump him. She never had been able to resist Draco, and she didn't plan on starting now. It wasn't often they had the house to themselves and with a second child on the way, it would soon become an even rarer occurrence so they really should make the most of it while they could.

Saying goodbye to Blaise and Daphne, Hermione and Draco found Lucius and Narcissa to say goodbye to before heading home. Once at home, Draco ran Hermione a soothing bubble bath complete with candles lighting up the bathroom. When she emerged from the bathroom she found the bedroom was also alight with romantic candlelight, and climbing onto the bed, Draco proceeded to give her a very relaxing, and very sexy massage. By the time Draco was finished, Hermione felt fully invigorated and they spent the remainder of the night making love.

When their lovemaking was over and they were settled down together in bed, Hermione thought about events of the evening. She hadn't expected to see her former friends, but in the end she was pleased that she had. It may have been too late to reignite their friendship, but at least she had some closure. She now knew why Ron had lied all those years ago, and even though it didn't really matter much anymore it felt good to know Harry and Ginny knew the truth. At least now her former friends didn't think she was a liar, and that was something that pleased Hermione. Her life may not include her friends any more, but at least some sense of peace had been restored. Now when she thought about them, she could remember the good times and wouldn't have to dwell on how their friendship ended.

The End.


End file.
